About my Mother

Carol Hamill Callaway
4/18/44-1/08/98

My mother, Carol Hamill Callaway was a great cook. Taught to cook as a child by her grandmother in Texas, she drew on not only French and Southern cuisines but also those from her world travels. As a child, I was irked to have to always eat a green vegetable along with a main entrée and a side starch, all made from scratch. When she was feeling healthy, dessert would be fruit salad. But on magical nights, there would be pie.

I blame my mother for my intense sweet tooth; hers was even stronger than mine. She had a delicate touch with pastry, and always knew the right balance of seasonings and flavorings. From her I learned the power of food – not only the beauty of feeding people you love, but also the ways in which food can bring people together, forming community. So it appropriate that this project in honor of her rests on a foundation of food.

But my mother was much more than a cook. A lifelong scholar, she was an artist, a teacher, a curator, a writer. She returned to graduate school at 40, earning her PhD in pre-Columbian art history. Her work as an art historian centered on the intersection of indigenous iconography in the facades of the Catholic churches of Oaxaca, Mexico. At Dumbarton Oaks, she took fierce pride in caring for the pre-Columbian collections and working with her fellow scholars. My own love for art is rooted in the hours I spent by her side drawing, or watching her take pictures. She needed no accolades or recognition for it, only the quiet time of reflection and observation that art gave her.

But above all, my mother was a friend. In the years since her death, many many people have told me that she was an important connector in their lives. Not only did she stay in touch with childhood friends, helping them in turn to stay in touch with each other, but also she made friends easily, and took great pleasure in bringing old and new friends together.

When she was sick, those friends rallied around her, coming out of the woodwork to support her in ways she never could have imagined to ask for. They did everything from bringing meals to dealing with insurance paperwork. One friend came weekly with cheerful movie rentals. Another organized colleagues to make a get well quilt. They went to doctor's visits with her, and helped her deal with the emotional burdens so that she didn't have to burden my brother and me. Her friends allowed me to focus on her, rather than a million details.

My mother's legacy is rich and varied. I carry her spirit inside me in so many ways, known and unknown. And I know if she were here now, she'd tell me to stay in touch with her friends, and to be sure to have a delicate touch with my pie crusts.

About CancerCare

When I first started contemplating this project, I thought a lot about my mother's life and illness. I considered working for an organization which supported art, or Mexico, or any of the other many things that she loved. But what really moved me was thinking about her illness. She had the very good fortune to have a fantastic community, excellent health insurance, and good resources. One of her medicines alone cost tens of thousands of dollars a month - a (then experimental) drug that raised her red blood cell count so that she could have more energy in spite of chemotherapy. It was totally covered by health insurance. She was able to spend her final days at home, with her loved ones around her. And her health care decision were made based on what was right for her, not what they would cost. These priviledges are immeasurable.

So many people are nowhere near as fortunate. They worry not only about how to pay for radiation and chemotherapy, but also about how to get there, or who will watch their kids while they're at the hospital. In thanks for the many blessings that my mother gave me and the world, as well as the daily blessings I have in my life currently, I wanted to give back to an organization that helps people with the financial burden of cancer.

Donations from Pieathon will go directly to CancerCare, an organization that not only offers counseling and support services to those affected by cancer, but also has a direct financial assistance program helping people with the expenses of chemotherapy, radiation, pain medications, child care, home care, and more.

In their own words:

CancerCare is a national nonprofit organization that provides professional support services to anyone affected by cancer: people with cancer, their loved ones, caregivers, children, and the bereaved. CancerCare programs – including counseling, education, financial assistance and practical help – are provided by trained oncology social workers and are completely free of charge. Founded in 1944, CancerCare now provides individual help to more than 91,000 people and receives 2.1 million online visits each year to its websites, www.cancercare.org and http://www.lungcancer.org/. For more information, call 1-800-813-HOPE (4673) or visit us online.

To make a donation, go to www.cancercare.org/donate
Check the box under "tributes" and put "pieathon" or "Carol Hamill Callaway Memorial Fund".
All donations will then go to their direct financial assistance program.

Thank you so much for helping me support a great organization.

Donate!

Thank you for wanting to make an immediate donation to CancerCare.

Click here:


Be sure to check the button marked "tributes" and then enter either "Pieathon" or "Carol Hamill Callaway Memorial Fund" so that we can appropriately credit your donation!

Sponsor Me!

Can Nina really bake pies for 24 hours? Will she go crazy in a flour-induced haze? Will she fall over in exhaustion?

Inspire me to keep baking by sponsoring me! You can either

- make a flat donation by going to www.cancercare.org/donate. Check the box under "tributes" and put "pieathon" or "Carol Hamill Callaway Memorial Fund".

- make a pledge by leaving a comment on this post. After the pie-a-thon is over, I'll contact you to remind you of your pledge. You'll make your donation directly to CancerCare, so all donations will be fully tax-deductible.

Your comments should include:

-the amount per hour you are pledging
-some way of contacting you, ideally an email address.

All donations will go to CancerCare's direct financial assistance program.

The cost of doing business

One of the first questions in my mind (after "am I crazy?) was, would this actually work? Could I make enough money to pay for ingredients and have enough left over to donate? As I started to list out ingredients and costs, I got worried. The cost was climbing. But then I realized the secret is in adequately publicizing the pie-a-thon for sponsorships.

I've made a super-preliminary spreadsheet, with a lot of assumptions on it. The prices for items are from memory, or freshdirect prices. Obviously if I can find things on sale, or use my wholesale contacts, I could save even more money. But then, it also doesn't include things like a car rental, if I need that for deliveries and can't find one to borrow.

Still, this chart shows a very possible $3600 could be raised, or potentially a lot more. I'd feel very proud to write that check.

What are these pies you speak of?

I love to make pie. And although I'm a simple home baker, I've made a whole lot of kinds. For pieathon 2007, I'm offering three kinds of pie that I think will be awesome on your Thanksgiving table. Pumpkin, Pecan, and Sugar Cream Pie. (For those of you who don't know, Sugar Cream Pie is an speciality of the midwest, originating with the Amish. It's a pie crust spread with butter and brown sugar, then filled with a vanilla custard and sprinkled with nutmeg. Delicious!)

All pies will be made with my special homemade flaky and tender pie crust, and be baked from scratch.

I'm hoping to be able to offer delivery in Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as having a central pickup location. Pies will be ready in the afternoon of Wednesday, November 21 just in time for Thanksgiving!

Please don't order pies if you don't live in New York City. Quantities are limited, so preorder now before they sell out!